Combination punch and cutter



July 31, 1951 R. s. OKUMURA COMBINATION PUNCH AND CUTTER.

Filed April 4, 1949 I ATTORNEY R. 's. OKUMURA i atented july 31,

UNITED STATES PATEN 1" O FICE COMBINATION i UNciI AND CUTTER Raymond Sumito Okuinura, Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii Application April 4, 1949, Serial No. 85,343

weight manually operable tool which includes cutting and punching elements and positioning means for sheet material on which it is desired to perform these operations.

In the past both punches and cutters for sheet material have been in relatively wide use but these have usually been separate machines or implements and have been subject to criticism for various reasons.

Among the shortcomings of implements of this general type heretofore used have been those of lack of flexibility of use, complexity resulting in difiiculty or impossibilty of repair and relatively large expense, and that of excess size rendering them unsuitable for use in a business ofiice.

Accordingly it is an object of the present invention to provide a combination cutter and punch in which the objections outlined above are overcome.

Another object of the invention is to provide a compact, light weight, and durable combination cutter and punching implement which is only slightly larger than a conventional punching device of similar type.

A further object of the invention is to provide a combination punching and cutting implement which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture, has a minimum number of parts, and in which substantially all of the elements subject to wear are adapted to be quickly and easily removed and replaced.

These andother objects'of the invention will become apparent from the following specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein: a

Fig. 1 is an elevation of the device showing a part thereof in section,

Fig. 2, a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3.7a fragmentary section on the line 3- -3' ofFig.1.- v. 7 7

Referring 'to the drawings, the combination implement comprises a relatively broad fiat base In having a relatively flat smoothupper surface II on which sheet material is adapted to be placed. Apertured ears I2 are provided for the reception of suitable fasteners when it is desired tosecurethe device to a support, A relatively narrow neck |3'connects thebase Ill to abroad upstanding body portion M which includes a lower U-shaped portion l and a cap It. The under side ll of the body portion I4 is substantially flat and is spaced from the surface ll of the base ll! in order to providea recess l8 for the reception of sheet material.

The base Ill has an elongated slot or recess 9 along the same and substantially adjacent the neck l3. A stationarycutter blade 2| is fastened' within the recess l9 by means of a bolt 20..

The recess I8 extends into the neck portion a sufiicient amount to provide a relatively small distance between its extremity and the cutter cooperating surface of the. stationary cutterblade 2|. This distance is just sumcient for receiving the edge of an envelope in order that the same may be clipped therefrom and the letter opened.

A plurality of spaced apertures or bores 22 are provided in the base l0 and are preferably aligned substantially parallel to the recess l9. Each of the apertures is adapted to receive a punch bar later to be described, and for cooperation therewith, a plurality of die members 23 are fastened to the base over the apertures by means of fasteners 24.

For cooperation with the fixed or stationary cutter blade 2|, a movable cutter blade 25 is secured by means of a fastener 26 to slidable bar members 21. from lateral movementby grooves 21 in the lower body member l5 and by the surfaces defining the apertures 28 in the cap IS. The cap is attached to the lower bodymember |5 by means of fasteners 29, and the apertures 28 arealigned withv the grooves provided in the .lower body members I5; In order to afford engaging means for raising andllowering the bars 21, a plurality,

of notches 30, in the for rn of a' rack, are formed on one 'face of each of the bars. Q i

similarly positioned and guided to the bars 2lare a plurality of, punch barsi 3| having die c o-.,

accordance with the spacing'of the apertures with, which they cooperate. It is understood that the.

invention contemplatesrth e use of one or more spaced punch member s'and is not limited the number of'arrangement thereof. The punch bar 7 members 3| are provided withracks 33 similar to those onthe jbarmembers 2i, and it is con templateol that the bar members 21 andj3| will be positioned in spaced pairs portions facing eachotherf Supported in the end portions l5 of the body portion 15 is a relatively long rod or bar 34 which The bar members are restrained and have their rack may be conveniently divided into two or more parts by a tongue and groove connection 35. The rod is journalled for rotation in the body member I5 and has attached thereto gear or pinion members 36 one for each pair of bar members 21 and 3| and positioned between each of the said members with its teeth in engagement with the racks of the facing bar members.

A yoke shaped handle or actuating member 31 having an extension 33 with a finger receiving depression 39 has bored or apertured extremities 40 for the reception of the rod 34. Suitable fasteners or set screws 4| are provided tq lock the handle to the rod.

In order that an envelope may be clipped a sufficient distance from the edge to remove the contents but not completely sever the strip, a guage 43 is provided. The guage includes a flat member- 44 having a flange or upturned portion 45 at one end and an upstanding post 46 which projects slightly beyond the recess [9. to serve as a stop or guide for the envelope. The member ispositioned transversely of the recess [9 and is adapted to reciprocate in grooves 41 in the face of the sides defining the recess. The post 46 may be moved to a position corresponding to that at which the edge 'of the envelope should be to make a cut of the desired length along the'edge of the envelope. The post is also useful as a guide for'positioning' the paper to be punched.

In the operation of the device, before sheet material is inserted in the recess l8, the handle 31 is positioned as shown in the drawing in order that the recess will be clear of the cutting bar and the punching bars 3 I. If it is desired to open an envelope it is tapped edgewise on a surface in order to position the matter contained therein in one portion thereof, andjthe other edge is then placed within the recess IE to the full depth thereof following which the handle 31' is moved to the left or in the A direction shown on the drawing. This rotates the pinion 3B in a counter! clockwise direction and as it meshes with the racks of the bars 21 the cutter blade 25 moves downwardly'past the stationary cutter blade 2| and severs theedge of the envelope.

When it is desired to punch holes in one or more sheets 'of material such as paper and the like the sheet material is positioned within the recess [8 to itsfull depth' and the handle 31 is then moved to the right or in the B direction to turn the pinions '36 clockwisethus lowering the bars 3| and punching apertures in the material. The

spacing of the bars 3| and the apertures 22 from the apex of the recess l8 may correspond to the spacing of the conventional apertures in note paper and the like from the edge of the sheet.

, It is apparent thatv the working parts of the device such asthe cutting blades and the dieplate areeasily replaceable. Similarly the other portions of the implement may be quickly dismantled for repairs andreplacement ofparts.

It is apparent that the invention includes a without departing from} the spirit and scope 4 thereof and therefore the invention is not limited by that which is shown in the drawings and described in the specification but only as indicated in the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

A cutting and punching device comprising a base having a flat upper surface, a body extending upwardly at one end of said base and substantially from one side to the other side of said base, said body having sides of substantial length, said body being undercut from the end opposite said one end providing a recess open at the other end and both sides whereby marginal portions of sheet material may be inserted to be cut and punched, a pair of upstanding upwardly extending guideways in said body at each side of said body, at, least a portion of each guideway of each pair opening toward and facing the other guideway of said pair, plungers mounted in said guideways and having gear means on the p li s Qf sa d. l n rs facing the oppo guideway the top of said upstanding sides be-. ing formed with aligned bearing recesses between said guideways, a shaft extending substantially parallel to said sheet receiving recess and thereabove rotatably mounted in said bearing recesses in said sides of said body between the guideways, gear means integral with said shaft inwardly of said bearing recesses in mesh with the gear ineansof said plungers, a bearing cap having bearing recesses and plunger receiving openings removably. mounted on said body for receiving and securing said shaft and plungers in assembled relation, said plungers being ar-' ranged so as to be normally maintained out of the sheet material receiving portion of said recess, an elongated cutter bar mounted on one plunger of each pair and extending across said base and movable in both directions across the work receiving portion of said recess, said recess including a cutter. receiving portion opening into said work receiving portion of said recess and normally receiving the. cutter bar in retracted position out of said work receiving portion of saidrecess, a cutter groove in said base opening into said work receiving portion of saidrecess and cooperating with said cutter bar for severing the end of work within said recess, said base'having openings in alignment with 'said otherplungers whereby said other plungers may punch holes in the work, a lever mounted on. said shaft be tween the sides ofsaid body for rotating said shaft in both directions for selectively operating said cutter bar or punch plungers across the recess and into the groove and openings respectively in the base.

' RAYMOND SUMITO OKUMURA.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are ofrecordin the file of this patent? UNITED STATES PATENTS 

